


Imperfect Moon

by Kisuru



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Did Not Get To Write Battle Scenes, Drama, F/M, Family, Gen, I Had Plans I Swear, I Tried, Inspired by Roleplay/Roleplay Adaptation, Major Original Character(s), Major Original Pokemon, My First Fanfic, Mysteries That Will Never Be Revealed, Original Region, Original Universe, Protective Sibling, Roleplaying Character(s), Romance, Siblings Don't Get Along, Yes Pokemon Are Actually In This Fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-09
Updated: 2014-12-16
Packaged: 2018-02-22 19:10:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2518673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kisuru/pseuds/Kisuru
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A region named Moon Forest in civil war between humans causes worry and turmoil for the civilians and Pokėmon suffering every day. However, on a smaller scale, Sarah Pure has problems at home. One day Sarah's family begins to act strangely around her, and she, along with her Pokėmon Winace and Sunset, must weather the complications of a love triangle that may or may not be what it seems.</p><p>Abandoned fic. Chapter one notes explain what this story is.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hidden Secret

**Author's Note:**

> Admittedly, this was my first fanfic. No, it's not a good idea to point this fact out, but I started to originally write Imperfect Moon in the 2007-8 range, if I remember correctly, and I have since then abandoned this story in lieu of other story pursuits. I loved plotting the whole Moon Forest region, actually. Ask questions if you feel the need to understand something in the setup!
> 
> But sadly, I've also moved on from the motivation to complete the tale, as much as I had numerous ideas to make this a "darker" companion world in Pokėmon. I did not get as far as I would have liked. The summary basically covers what I have written and will upload from the days I spent on this fic, not entirely what was yet to come in the future. Definitely not that far; I had many ideas in the works.
> 
> I am only posting this for archival reasons and because this story has a special place in my heart. The story is based on my first roleplay characters. As for Moon Forest itself, the region in this story, I created a roleplay forum for it with some friends and it managed to last a while before I closed up shop. Perhaps someone will enjoy reading this as well. Who knows?
> 
> My writing has matured since the original publication of this story. In fact, I am sort of surprised myself this has such a romantic flavor. I think my main intention was to set character relationships so there would be a greater impact later. Nowadays I would do something so different without romance coming in for a good while! If you are so inclined, however, feedback is welcomed. Just know I am aware the story has errors. Back while writing my friend Zelda helped beta a chapter or two. There are four finished ones, and if we are lucky, I might salvage a fifth from chapter scraps. There will be a "Complete" tag after I decide.

September 21st, 1545: Wednesday, 6:45 AM, Reafe Outlet

By this point she could not bear the heavy strains of stress. There had not been a letter delivered to her home and addressed in her name within the last two week's proximity. It harbored plenty for her to imagine, as she had vehemently begun to wonder the cause. Her wildest anxieties had conjured every predicament and reason why he would not write to her, and the odds definitely were not stacked in her favor.

In the slow drift of the last hour alone the teenager had scraped the most logical off-hand possibilities from the useless ones, trying to discover the buried root of the problem from the jumbled state of her confused thoughts. Perhaps he was too lonely and depressed to find the motivation to write, or starved and lacked the essential energy. These were the regular choices which plagued her worried subconscious, but there was also another. The dire word buzzed like a ravenous curse through her mind, shooting hatefully through her heart whenever it managed to break through her hopeful wishes.

_Wounded._

Wounded. The lone word made the young girl physically wince in regret when no one was watching, and a taste of bitter dryness coated her tongue. If the male was hurt her heart would break to see the explanation of how he had been scarred in his curvy handwriting, and he was well aware of how it would affect her. Knowing the cause would at least alleviate some of her anxiety, but having no knowledge whatsoever tugged strongly at her emotions.

A measly cut to the leg could be the cause of his tardiness to contact her, not to mention more than one stab or bruise causing him torment. She lightly flickered her eyelids in protest to such cruel ideas, shaking her head slightly to clear her entire mind. One chilling solution icily tried to wrap itself around the fragile margins of the thoughts she already had dismissed, the possibility eerily easing from the bottom of her stomach upward in a tiny wave. She merely threw the dark echos of the thought aside, and shifted her fingers in a clumsy movement through the itchy blades of green grass below to erase it completely.

There was no chance she would ever believe such a cold destiny.

Not even the perfect multi-hued puffs of clouds in the early light from dawn could rattle her suspicions. That was it - he was injured and had the nerve to keep it a secret! This would deserve a severe scolding when he returned, and maybe in the meantime she would literally write him a five pound letter expressing her frustrations. He would most certainly have to reply to her then, even if he was not the direct one scratching the inked words on the parchment.

Though, it was still difficult to be too upset on this type of day: in fact, it was a near happy occasion to celebrate. For the last couple days the only message the surrounding area had received was one from a rain god. Tons of mini storms had raged through in sheer vastness, but now they had scouted out refuge from the tiny forest-clad province of farmers. This was the first dawn in five straight days where a stray speck of colorful light had peeled through the barrier of gray, misty clouds.

At first, a breath of relief had been issued because of rainfall finally arriving after a light drought. The drought had forced several patches of crops to welt, but the rainfall had done even less to promote the plant life than kill it. The farmer's crops from their house to those acres away were sickly dampened. Damages to equipment and houses had also been accounted for. Lightning had nearly come an inch too close to hit a tree above her house (at least her brother had stated so), and then the Pokémon in the barn set a gloomy, provoked atmosphere as soon as anyone set foot inside.

The dawning day at least possessed one small perk for her benefit, though at the back of her mind she wished there was a way out of it. Her daily chore was to leave for the town and grab a package at the market. Not exactly anything special, but it was a way to escape the tension that had recently surfaced in her household. It was mainly her fault no one had the intention to leave in her stead, or work for that matter to attend to the regular bustle of their own jobs to sort out the mess in the fields. They were all too busy with work; the perilous work that involved her future.

With a small huff, the teenage girl slowly opened her eyes, absorbing the soft multi-hued light that hit the middle of her pupils. She turned her head to stare straight into the bright yellow and red sunrise briefly glimpsing over the peak of the horizon in the distance. It instantly made her blink rapidly for a split second and gaze away, blinded momentarily. The faint sound of rushing water greeted her ears as she returned from her trance state, and the world around her bloomed back into life.

Every morning she did something to this magnitude. She would wake herself up about an hour before the sun rose, race out to the forest past the crop fields, and would lay out on the bank by the nearby river, Reafe Outlet. The shore of the snake-like, flowing river only laid a couple feet away, and sandy-colored rocks protruded from the water's surface. This place was her haven, so to speak, and there was no where more comfortable for her to than laying on the grass resting just past the sand dunes.

Long, mid-brown hair sprayed out around her as deep-set brown eyes still stared vacantly into the looming midnight blue sky dimming in the far western sky. If one would notice, she'd appear like a poet trying to find the right etching of words to describe her surroundings. In a sense, this position perfectly fit her pressing desires to clearly understand everything which was occurring. These serious thoughts laced around her mind were ones people just turning of age should not begin to comprehend, and she did not want to make anyone else aware of them for this reason alone.

Pulling herself to a sudden upright position, she decided to get back to the house early. The trek to Tsaine County would be a long, exhausting one, and it was better to start with fresh hours ahead to spare. Tonight was also her night to help prepare dinner. There would be no excuse to let her family and their guests starve because of a sloppy detour.

Standing to her feet, she lightly padded down the frilled white dress she wore, plucking a dead leaf off on the bottom. It honestly was a bother to wear such uncolored clothing; the dirt could sink in if she'd laid there long enough, but thankfully had not because of the thick grass. All she needed was to be scolded about her appearance.

The refreshing scents of morning dew, flowers, and fresh water filled the air, gradually giving her enough energy to continue. Silently, she tracked her way back to her family's land, and left the Reafe Outlet's quiet bubbling of water ripples behind after a prolonged goodbye glance. The bushy crowns of the trees kept the thin layer of sun that peeked above the river at bay until she reached the cornfield, the main part of their house in the distance. Granted, it was a little over a span of a two mile's walk, but she had no complaints. The way she had decided to travel let her off their land and would not run into anyone else's land (no one was supposed to own the land around the river, or the river itself), and fairly left her to her own devices.

Gingerly, she stepped into the narrow walkways within the nearest cornfield. Surprise filled Sarah as she suddenly noticed a shape in her peripheral version; a purple cat was bounding towards her in the mounts of green corn stalks. Frowning slightly, she realized what it was. Not that the Psychic-type made her regret what she had done, but she had hoped to be alone a little longer.

"Hi, Sunset," she managed cheerfully, and smiled to hide her previous thoughts. The Espeon trudged to her side, flickered her forked-tail once, and rubbed her head against the hem of Sarah's dress affectionately. Sarah rubbed the cat's head in return with a few careful strokes of her fingers, and vaguely wondered why she was there. Sunset, or Sun as she informally rather be called, rarely left her side, but at this time usually kept watch over the barn at this shift in the morning. Being the prestigious little worker she was, it was an odd sight.

"Is something wrong?" Sarah questioned aloud, now more meaningful. Then she noticed the uncannily joyful mood her Espeon seemed to be in. Sun was exuberantly flapping her tail side to side, and a row of excited calls issued from her mouth. She pranced around Sarah is a slight dance, gazing upward at her expectantly when coming back to her front.

Sarah tilted her head slightly, not seeing what was so significant. Was she mistaking excitement for peril? Sun was an odd type, to be honest; she had a distinct guardian prospect about her. The purple-furred cat would snap at anything strange that took one odd step near their barn. Unless she had received a letter all of a sudden there would be no clear reason for this behavior, and a letter actually arriving was a scarce chance. Sun would not be so animated over that, anyways.

The Espeon twisted her tail in the way of their small wooden house. It wasn't an elaborate structure, but was as refined and regal as a farmer's house could possibly be. High beams rose out on its sides, a washed dark brown color covered its exterior, and green shutters on the windows offered an encouraging ranch-style atmosphere. The only strange evidence was that no one seemed to be outside. It was true they were not attending to outdoor affairs, but they were very much working inside on matters she would rather not remind herself of.

Though, Sarah could not imagine why any excitement would befall such a tiny establishment. They barely got news unless they went to town, and gossip didn't usually spread on Wednesdays. She mentally sighed, placing her hand on the the crown of Sun's head to pat her once more. Now she was curious, trying to nitpick anything she could remember that would be unusual. Still nothing came to mind.

"Let's see what all this fuss is about," Sarah finally stated plainly, waiting for Sun to lead her to the source of her emotions.

Sun leapt back through the overgrown, soggy field again, not waiting to see if her master was following her trail. On closer inspection, Sarah found it amusing Sun allowed her feet to be covered in mud when she hated being dirty. 

Sarah carefully observed the hem of her dress as she walked. The open-toed, wooden shoes she wore didn't get as lucky a treatment while they were splashed with sticky mud. They were old and chipped, however, so it didn't make much of a difference when they collected a small amount of debris at the bottom; she'd probably need a replacement soon.

Minutes passed before they neared the solemn little house. Before they would reach it, Sun backtracked and raced towards the barn instead.

Momentarily confused by the Espeon's sudden change in miind, Sarah tried to keep pace. The weather-sensing cat burst forwards with her agility, however, and arrived at the barn entrance in no time flat.

The barn was two times as large as the house. It was accompanied with the wood furnishings of tall beams at each corner, high planks supporting its sides, and a slightly new coloring adorned it. The majority of the barn had the normal clay-red appearance, but a mismatched navy blue X broadly spread across its front.

The first detail Sarah noticed was the wide front door to the barn was ajar. As soon as she noted this, a figure stepped in the doorway, an imperceptible shadow for a few moments because of the little light in the brightening sky. Most of the light was still at the eastern corner of the horizon, and was spreading over the midnight blue that had been there mere seconds ago.

The figure took a step or two out the doorway, and waved in an off-hand gesture. "You might have to leave a little sooner than expected, little sister," the slightly gruff voice groused. "There's another storm coming tonight. Maybe even before dusk."

So the rain god had not halted its thunderstorm assault, after all. It figured as much and made perfect sense. This was the reason Sun was so gleeful. Sunset loved storms just as much as her fascination with sunlight, and especially the rain; it was a blessing for her when she could anticipate a storm's arrival. Needless to say, the last couple days had been heaven on Earth for her.

"Really? I was planning to leave now, anyway," Sarah returned, a grin sprouting to her face. She reached the doorway, peering up at her brother with a knowing look. "You're never up this early. It's a miracle."

Daniel merely shrugged his shoulders in response. "Not so much a miracle as it is exhausting," he murmured, lightly stifling a yawn which nearly escaped his lips. Sarah gave him a triumphant glance that he waved aside, it being too early for such playfulness.

Without another word, he stepped back inside the barn, the two newcomers following behind. The stench of hay, Pokémon food, and other odors reached the two sibling's noses immediately, but it was a normal smell they had gotten the feel for years ago.

"Winace is ready to leave." Daniel paused before he continued, trying to find the right words for the sensitive topic. "You know, we wouldn't have you leave at all if we could help it. But-"

Sarah rolled her eyes in a mechanical gesture, not impressed with how everyone was treating her like it mattered so much. Now it was even her beloved brother. "Dani, I know," she emphasized, using the variation of his name to sound more childish. "But I don't care. There's nothing wrong with me exerting myself. It's not like he's coming back soon."

Daniel frowned at her tone, unpleased with the result. "Sarah-" he tried, but was cut off again.

"Don't give me the 'he'll be worried' routine," she breathed impatiently. "If he cared, he wouldn't have left in the first place."

A soft pouncing noise came from one of the hay stacks in the corner: a flutter of hay stirred the space, and Sun emerged a minute later, another frenzied kick sending more hay into the sweet-smelling air. She didn't even bother taking a moment's notice to the little spat.

Daniel did not try to continue their argument any longer. It was just a waste of time - he'd try to say the same kind words before, but Sarah would never accept them verbally. Yet again, it was not as if she understood the true intention of them. Though, he still got the last words about it. "What did you expect him to do about it? In any case, she's ready when you are."

Sarah waved her hand at his comment and sailed to the stall with her horse Pokémon. It was one of the Pure family's most prized Pokémon, and Winace couldn't be considered anything less than a true lady's jewel. Winace had the soft red, flaming hair of a champion Rapidash, a grace to her step, and the sweetest personality that could make honey taste bitter - but that didn't even compare to her racing abilities.

Sarah leaned over the stall and gently traced her fingers on the horse's back to greet her. "Good morning, Winace."

Winace snorted a welcome, nudging her nose against her master's with a full mouth of dry Pokémon food in between her teeth.

Sarah noticed that Daniel had walked away in the small exchange, and heard him farther away telling her to come out when she was ready. It didn't take too long to get the proper riding materials fastened and lead Winace back to where she'd met her brother.

Sarah pulled herself upward to sit atop the blanket saddle upon Winace's bare back. She spotted Daniel leaning next to the doorway. Something else accompanied him that was not there before; he was carrying a small wooden box and a white envelope. Other than this, there was nothing else different about him than usual. A calm complexion flexed the softly toned cheekbones in his face, smooth layers of rich brown hair cascaded down his neck, and vibrant green eyes traced the slightest near ocean blue. Something about his posture gave him an untouchable feeling Sarah couldn't quite grasp.

"What's that?" Sarah questioned him slowly, casually gesturing towards the box.

"Just something I need delivered," he merely drawled. Daniel handed the two items to her after she had settled snugly on top of her Rapidash. On closer inspection, the polished oak box turned out to be very light, and a red crescent moon crest adorned the fold on the back of the letter. Sarah tilted it around a little, wanting to know what was inside.

"Don't do anything with them," Daniel warned her after catching sight of her curiosity. Sarah just had the willpower to open the box if she really wanted too. "Just hand it to Jinca at the post office and tells her it's from me."

"Oh, is it a love letter and gift?" Sarah teased enthusiastically, tucking the two items in a small wicker basket hanging from the side of the blanket. Normally she knew these things before they happened, but this was a new one. Jinca was a couple years older than her brother, very pretty, and wasn't engaged yet. Sarah liked the girl, too, so that was a tip in the right direction for her brother.

Daniel brushed her comment to the side, and stared off into the cornfield where she could not see his expression. Not the reaction she had wanted. "Your shoes are dirty," he instead muttered, changing the subject entirely without any warning.

Sarah rolled her eyes; he knew what she did every morning. She was not planning to follow his trick to change topics until she looked down at her shoes, caught off-guard from how much mud was stuck to the bottoms. That was pretty unsightly, though there was nothing she could do about it now. "They're fine. No one in town is going to say anything bad."

"Sure, sure," Daniel assured quickly, turning his gaze back to hers. His eyes glittered with teasing. "You didn't step on any of the-?"

"I wouldn't step on the crops! I was very careful. You're so mean to me," Sarah scoffed matter-of-factly.

Daniel lightly smirked at her tone. Since everything had not been attended to in the field for a while and was getting overgrown, it was easy to accidentally step on something valuable. "Then just get going," he insisted suddenly. "Have a safe trip."

Sarah faced forwards, closing her eyes in defiance. "Fine! But you won't hear the end of this," Sarah threatened knowingly. "Come on, Winace, we're going to town, girl." She lightly poked Winace in the side with her foot; the hoofed Pokémon turned sharply to the right and trotted off, the soft clanging of her hooves gliding over the soft foliage as she set away towards a path hammered out in the wooded forest area past the main house. Sun suddenly bolted out of the barn and chased after them to the Rapidash's side, following alongside with a still pleased expression casting her expectancy of later that night.

Watching her off, Daniel noticeably winced at her receding figure. He was no longer thinking about their joking methods; his thoughts drifted far from the light-hearted side of their encounter. For weeks he had barely paid attention to anything but his own ideas, only pretending to be paying mind when people spoke to him. He felt disconnected from the entire world sometimes, and his growing suspicions weren't helping him concentrate. Sarah may have been worried and frustrated, but he was past that. These days he felt as if a weight had forced itself upon his heart. The whole situation was growing worse, and he just did not have the resolve to fill her in of the extremities of what was really happening. If he did, he would have to accept them, as well.

Daniel stared off into the sky for a moment longer, surprised by how high the sun was when he saw that it was drowning out shadows from the fortress of the distant forest. Awake from his stupor, he decided that now was the right time to continue with all the preparations for the day. Just as he was about to spring a muscle, a voice filtrated throughout his thoughts, interrupting the calmness that was forcefully planted there.

"Are you sure that was the best decision?" the voice inquired off-handedly, not missing a beat.

He did not have to double check who it was. There was no mistaking that voice. A couple of footsteps came from the side of the barn, and a silhouette of a woman fluidly walked into visual view. The confidence in her eyes was immeasurable, the part of her not even a fool could dismiss. As much as he wanted to ignore her, there was no doing so. Emma was irritably persistent to whomever she was trying to receive an answer from. Dressed in a formal brown dress, long brown hair pulled into a bun, and an inquisitive rebellion of questions in her brown eyes, the girl was obviously the elder sister of Sarah, though she possessed her own certain facial highlights.

"Why wasn't it, Emma?" Daniel whispered softly, a little too lowly for his elder sister's approval.

"You know perfectly well!" she shot back unsympathetically, trying to stare him down. Daniel did not have the will to fight back with her, and merely steadily gazed back into her eyes. They had been over this several times; she loved to corner him when there was no one around to hear the venom in her voice. Emma wasn't abusive in nature, but rather verbally strong. However, she had every right to be this way at this particular moment - he had done something that would possibly jeopardize his little sister's feelings.

"Emma," Daniel managed, keeping himself composed, "she won't find out about them in the city. Relin will meet her outside the gates, and no one would dare say anything about the war in front of him. She'll be happy, until she at least gets back."

"That's no guarantee he'll be of any use," Emma chided boredly. It was obvious she thought nothing of Relin meeting Sarah, or him warding away any hurtful words. "You knew they were coming today. Mother and Father are going to hound you until you die if she isn't back and prepared before dinner. Actually, it doesn't matter since she will not be here to greet them. They wanted to tell her tomorrow after she met them, not let her find out from those cold-hearted heathen in the city."

She paused, admiring the spark of anger and sadness that briefly flashed through Daniel's eyes, and watched as it quickly dissipated. His face hardened, and he glared straight back at her face, refusing for her to stand down.

Emma lightly continued. "They rearranged the details and it's all worked out. And now you're trying to get them together instead?" she asked skeptically. "Relin's not exactly impressive. Bad choice."

Could Emma not keep her comments to herself? If it really was her caring for once, Emma chose a terrible way to express her attitude. Daniel motionlessly stared at her for a moment, not able to come up with a comeback. This was ridiculous. He was the second man in the family and could not even think of a way to tell his older sister off. Daniel did speak eventually, but he didn't realize the threat burning in his voice until it was out. "Why do you even care all of a sudden?"

It was the wrong statement to make. The twitch of amusement that sprang into Emma's eyes foreshadowed the worst. Instead of being taken aback, Emma turned the corners of her lips at his reluctance to admit he was the incorrect one.

Seeing the smile, Daniel instantly reacted to open his mouth and countermeasure what she was going to say, but she beat him to the punch.

"I'd like it if someone told me that my fiancée was dead," Emma whispered softly, locking gazes with her younger brother.

The old nerve the mockery hit sliced open again. It was like a wound that kept trying to regenerate itself, though never had any aid, and had rot down in an over-due welcome of an infection over the course of time. The heat of the impact rushed through his veins like the blood was trying to rush to the particular cut and pour out, but it never did, throbbing right at the wounded area without anywhere to escape.

Daniel tightly clenched his teeth and fist together, never seeming to control this action when he wanted to the most. It was always a blow each time it was said, just as fresh as the first time. "Dammit, Emma, he's not dead, my best friend is not-"

"So _you_ say," Emma pressed onward, more encouraged, or what seemed like a boost to her antagonizing method.

Daniel let the words die on his lips: he didn't know whether to be amazed that his sister could be so heartless, or that she was still so confident - maybe overconfidence would be her downfall.

"Moon Forest is in a civil war," Emma pointed out bluntly, her tone quieting, "and _you're_ hanging on false hope. We can't hide it from her anymore. They said a couple survived, but do you really think that we're special enough to have the moon shine down on us?"

The war - the Moon Forest civil war. It was the massive bloodshed that would forever be written in the region's nutrient-rich soil, and with no doubt had to be the most destructive civil war to be held in history. The timing was heavily ironic, and the region was not even stable. Moon Forest was still forming itself in political commences as government and currency. Two sides of a crescent shaped land having war against each other - it was heartbreaking to the citizens. It wasn't just the thought of a war which was the most frightening, but knowing that the soldiers had to fight their own kin in the mist of their own backyard.

Daniel straightened, through with her interrogation. A scuttle from a roaming Pokémon could be heard somewhere across the grass nearby, but that did not distract his unruly distaste. The light coating of bangs in front of his eyes covered his green eyes from sight, and hid the uncomfortable distortion lodged in his pupils.

To be fair, Daniel had no idea what he should be feeling for the situation. He honestly did not approve of lying to Sarah, and he furthermore could not accept anything without nearly breaking into pieces lately. Relin was not his number one choice for the spot either, but at least he knew he was not going to betray her. Sarah liked him, but not in that aspect  that was the only true problem. The true shame was that Sarah had to be lied to so she would not panic before the inevitable arrived.

At least, that was until the time came tomorrow, or even today, for someone to grasp the strength and explain everything to her.

"I'd rather rely on false hope than be a _pessimist_ , Emma," Daniel sighed softly. "I'm trying to give her a little extra time before the breakdown comes. She only has until she meets them to be happy; let her be carefree now."

With that, the male turned away and hiked into the barn to grab some farming materials and labor out in the fields until the excitement of the day began.

Emma silently huffed to herself from the hate in his tone. A moment later, she tilted her head sideways, thinking she heard the front door of their main house open in the distance.

Daniel could act like a spoiled child for whatever length of time he wished. He could smash his sickle on the tall grass by the crops or bribe out one of the Grass-type Pokémon all he wished too for assistance in the fields, but the young man was only delaying his inevitable fate of taking responsibility for his actions. No, it really did not matter, he'd come to terms with his afflictions at some point, and it wold have to be soon.

Today would commence as scheduled. Daniel would probably attempt to deny any part of the upcoming dinner, but she saw no honest loss in him doing what he wished. He might possibly just join so he could be near Sarah and support her through it; that was the only reason he would brave the cold waters of destiny. He would press himself to live up to the title of being the responsible big brother. Emma honestly did not want to join in on Sarah's "celebrations" either, but it was the curse of being the eldest sibling in the family.

With an exasperated eyeroll, she slowly turned and began wandering back towards the house to assist her parents and the Pokémon with their cleaning chores in the house. They were probably knee-deep in rabid stress, even though they had been getting ready for three weeks since the event had been preplanned. As the eldest sibling, the truth was Emma Pure could only breathe in a sigh of annoyance and move her feet one step at a time towards the main house in the rays of early morning sunshine. The woman was allowed no room to complain but merely adhere to the responsibility of her family name. In fact, she was to abide by the heavy expectations placed upon her loaded shoulders without a word of rejection. All together, the reliability she was entrusted with was both an honor and a curse.


	2. Trip to Tsaine County

September 21st, 1545: Wednesday, 9:37 AM, Farika Forest

The powerful thunder of racing steps vibrated underneath the ground. Each pound of the Rapidash's hooves set the tiny grains of dirt and pebbles near her to motion as she raced forwards, causing the scattered debris to be violently blown into the dark green undergrowth at the side of the path with a sharp rustle. Winace leisurely kept her pace as her flame mane slightly breezed out in the waves of wind around her frame. The horse Pokémon's display of speed definitely did not match her natural full gallop, but she was definitely outracing the poor lavender feline left feet behind.

"Winace, stop!" the Fire-type's trainer half-laughed from atop Winace's back. Sarah tightened her loose grip on the saddle's horn and shook her head to allow the strands of her long brown hair to fly behind her as they continued to race forwards. "I think Sun understands who is the fastest; she may faint from exhaustion soon. You win the race. Besides, the Tsaine Mark is dead-ahead," she lightly pointed out, a wry smile crossing her lips.

The girl glanced over her shoulder to identify her Espeon who had fallen far behind on the trail. Determined little Sunset was nearly out of visible sight, trying her hardest to catch-up with the speed-demon horse. Her sleek legs agilely swung forwards to meet the ground, but her speed was standing no chance against Winace's graceful and swift movements.

Winace reluctantly slowed her pace when she reached the targeted destination a few minutes later, Tsaine Mark. It was a large, glossy silver-brown rock placed at the edge of the path, or the point of the forest where a passerby knew they were about a mile to Taine County. The horse's flame mane waned to its normal size as she fell to a comfortable trot, no trace of being phased with the ordeal settling onto her face.

Sun eventually caught-up with her two companions and wobbled to Winace's side. The Espeon gave Winace a sideways glare as she leaned over in discomfort with her head down, puffing out heavy breaths of air.

"Aw, I told you, Winace. You exhausted the poor girl," Sarah chided the Fire-type in a mild scold. Despite her words, Sarah let a tiny smirk crease the edges of her mouth. To make Sunset feel more reassured Sarah noted, "Take a moment to rest, Sunset, and we'll head straight to Tsaine at a walking pace."

The Espeon glanced at Sarah from the corner of her oval eyes, still breathing in harsh breaths. "Peon . . . pi," she managed to mutter in agreement, irritably waving her forked-tail at being so out-of-shape.

However, Sunset's rest did not last for more than a two minutes before she caught her breath. In an attempt to gain revenge the Espeon sprang towards the Tsaine Mark and touched it with the tip of her nose. She spun around, giving Winace a triumphant growl. Even if she had not reached it first she most certainly had touched it before the Rapidash, and that in her book was satisfactory. Sun plopped down on her haunches and calmly licked her paw carelessly.

Winace gave the purple cat a cool look out of the corner of her eyes while Sarah laughed at her Espeon's antics.

[i]This obviously isn't over between them yet. There might even be a battle later tonight,[/i] Sarah thought warmly. Her brown gaze softened as she noted her two beloved Pokémon. [i]Yet again, it's never over.[/i]

"You both did wonderful," Sarah praised the two Pokémon good-naturedly. She absentmindedly began to stroke the Rapidash's fiery mane to emphasize her words. The usual white-hot flames fetl cooler and wavy under her slim fingers. "Maybe we can battle tonight for Colin. I bet he'd be pretty happy to watch."

As she spoke, Sarah regretted not having brought any water with her in a pitcher like she usually would have. She suddenly noticed her throat was somewhat parched because of the forest's heat. The golden sun lingered high above Farika Forest's Autumn-strewn treetops, and the warmth of its rays had rapidly evaporated the morning dew that coated the dense forest's thickened grass. Neither did she spy a healthy tree branch producing any lustrous berries; they seemed to all be hidden snugly high in the trees behind enormous red and yellow leaves. The fresh, fruity taste of ripe berries would induce minor relief for her until she arrived at Tsaine County, but no such luck presented itself yet.

Sarah's dress did not prove to be any more comforting. The thick, scratchy garment had been pleasant while lying out by Reafe Outlet, but was too hot and fancy for her tastes to wander through the late September heat in the forest. She would rather be in the loose-fitting darker clothes she wore when the family was expecting no guests or relatives to visit, but she had to be presentable to the rest of the community.

At least all was calm on the narrow, sand-laid path the three were traveling down. These little trips to and fro the middle-sized city were surprisingly relaxing. It probably accounted for the sheer amount of nature throughout the path itself, like the plant-infested clearings and moss-slabbed on so many of the trees northern quarters. Rustles from Pokémon wandering about kept the group company as well, though neither one of them would feel alone if the others were near.

Though, Sarah merely brushed all of those minor details to the side and inhaled a deep breath. She noted the changed leaves breezing contently in the wind; none of the leaves would succumb to the Fall season yet, but as soon as October hit, each would flutter into unorganized clusters on the ground.

As the girl fixated her attention on her own thoughts, Winace exchanged a quick glance with Sun. The fire horse eyed her Pokémon friend uncertainly, but kept the lingering question in her eyes dimmed. Sunset merely shook her head silently at Winace's expression and stood to her feet, giving the Fire-type all the answer she needed.

Winace gazed back at her master and nickered to alert her they should continue onwards. A moment later Sarah blinked a few times in response to clear the glazed expression from her eyes. Being surrounded in nature could easily turn her this way - completely engrossed in the her own thoughts and the scenery. She would forget everything else in favor of those simple pleasures.

The fifteen-year-old reached upwards and patted down her wind-blown hair, and tucked two long strands behind her ears for good measure. "Let's head off," she announced with a sudden smile, and the trio again continued towards Tsaine County. 

Sarah scouted for traces to the near city and strained to hear the sounds of the city's folk. None appeared yet, but the bustling city would appear soon. No one could miss Tsaine County's immense borders, even if they desperately tried. The trees were growing thinner and the treetops were richer in green than the inner woodland, so that was even more of a clue it was the end.

[i]Sun and Winace are probably thirsty, too,[/i] Sarah realized. They had not gotten any food or water before they had left, and it had been past a few hours ride by now. [i]Maybe I'll buy them a treat on my tab at the market, too. Along with anything special I might find the Braix might like. It's been so long since we saw the them. Everything needs to be perfect for this dinner.[/i] The fifteen-year-old thoughtfully blinked at her decision, gazing upwards at the sky. [i]Besides, I simply must repay Mrs. Braix for that beautiful little white scarf she knitted for me for the festival this year.[/i]

Winace trotted off the path at the point where it began to become a little bumpy. A large patch of sunlight caught the Rapidash's eye as she neared it through a small thicket of bushes, her hooves rhythmical as she paced across the grass and easily entered a clearing. There was definitely a sight to see now that Tsaine County was in full-fledged view - a lively sight just as awake as the forest behind.

A wide iron gate surrounded the interior of the infamous Tsaine County, spikes upheaved at the top in a menacing uppercut. It gave the village inside a sense of wrapped protection and an air of wealthiness to its inhabitants. Though the gate was an over-luxurious present to the city, it was less gaudy than a huge brick or stone wall. Three sturdy buildings made out of weather-worn wood stood right behind this portion of the gate, and the visual of distant people slowly walking on the streets of the estate gave the village instant life.

This was definitely the familiar city Sarah had known for her entire life. Tsaine County was a robust, calm city which would be well into their morning chores by this hour. The sunlight hitting the ground meant it really was about two hours from where she had started, about seven-thirty in the morning. Thanks to Winace's speed the time had been shortened, at least.

Winace trotted forwards to the true boundaries of the city, but something instantly made her ears prick upwards when she was halfway through the sunlit clearing. Sarah noticed her behavior but did not understand until she heard the mention of her name. It had only been the faintest of calls, but the girl was still caught off-guard. Sarah was sure she had heard the right word, and was proven correct when another call rang nearby through the trees, this one dashed with a ring of certainty. Winace and Sun stopped in their tracks, having also heard their master's name called.

"Sarah?" the voice bounced good-naturedly. "Is tha' yo'? Ah, believe it's yo' all by yerself. Howdy!"

The female instantly cringed in recognition of the source of the voice; it sent a chill down her arms. Two sets of footsteps distinctly crunched across the crisp grass behind the trio after the person's slurred words, one obviously human and the other Pokémon. Sarah hesitated in response, but reluctantly turned her head to face the newcomer. She was less than enthused when she noted the footsteps halt, and caught the site of the young adult leaning against the mossy side of an oak tree.

A limp straw hat snugly covered the youth's shoulder-length black hair and bright silvery eyes, shading his softly tanned face from the radiant yellow sunlight. It fit perfectly with an oversized brown work shirt and breeches adorning his slightly muscular frame, and a stretched smile plastered over his face finishing the outfit. In Sarah's eyes, there was absolutely no way Relin could greet anyone without his trademark smile - he never seemed to leave home with it misplaced.

"Yo're just as lovely today as usual," he complimented her, straightening out his back. "Can I-" he started, but Sarah interrupted him before he could complete his sentence.

"Hello, Relin," Sarah murmured softly, choking back a sigh. "You're as formal as always. I told you not to be."

A certain sparkle dimmed in the silver of his eyes proceeding her tone. Upon noticing this, Sarah quickly changed her demeanor with an apologetic, warm smile to efface some of the seriousness. She allowed her hands to loosen from the saddle's horn and slip to her sides.

"Ah, nevermind. What are you doing out here? Picking berries, I assume?" she questioned light-heartedly. It was extremely rude of her to be irked at him when he was just trying to be friendly.

It was not that she did not approve of Relin. She really did care about him - he was a nice guy and one of Daniel's good friends. But he had competed too much with Joshua for her affections before he left to join the Cnicile Army, and even now when he was gone in such a faraway place. Joshua, the one she still cherished above other possible suitors even when he was breaking the layers of her heart at that very moment by being away. Just because Relin was making Growlthe-eyes at her did not mean she would fall in love with him instead of Josh.

The bright lights returned to the straw-hatted boy's eyes, lit by some kind of hopeful fuel. "Yes, ma'am. Sure ha' bin," he proudly stated. "Machoke, come'on out an' show this fine lady wha' we collected."

Relin's attention veered to his left-hand side as a Machoke smoothly padded from behind the tree he had been leaning on, holding one large navy-blue bucket in the palm of each hand. Colorful wild berries were pressed delicately together inside both buckets, showing the various amount of berries which could be found in Farika Forest. The Machoke grinned in triumph to show carrying the buckets was absolutely no bother compared to his real strength, and lifted them in the air to flex his arms.

Sarah wistfully glanced at the berries, geniunely surprised by the amount. Where he had found all of those berries when she was unable to locate even one was quite remarkable. "Impressive! You two really worked hard this morning. All that in a few hours," she exlaimed, furrowing an eyebrow. All of them looked so ripe and juicy, but there was no way she could ask Relin for one to quench her thirst. She could never spoil the profit he would make from selling the berries himself; the poor lad was struck by poverty enough as it was. It would be completely selfish if she did.

The male's face filled with pride at her praise. "Thought I'd sell'em today at tha market. Might make a hefty sack'a Lunar coins," Relin remarked in a wishful tone.

Sarah nodded her approval of that. Harvest was upon them now, and any kind of crop was beginning to sell like hotcakes. Now to mention it, if she had some money on her she would probably buy some off him later; she was running low of her own reserve at home.

"Hope they sell well," Sarah honestly wished for him. "They look like a really good pick."

"Didja want any?" Relin hastily asked. "They're a special price, just for you and yer work. Free. Anybody would die to get their hands on'em for free. At leas', I'd'a hope."

"Peon, es!" Sunset sang out loud in response, racing towards Machoke to peek inside one of the buckets. She stood upwards against the bucket held in the creature's left hand and placed her paws on the rims of it, her hind legs easily balancing her. Sun wistfully sniffed at the peachy fragrance wafting off the berries, and gleefully swatted at a purple and blue-tinged berry at the very edge. Berries were the second most heavenly thing to the Espeon after rain and sunlight; it was just a known fact.

The fifteen-year-old shot her Espeon a sharp look at the corner of her eye to forget the little treat, but Sunset completely ignored her master. The purple feline now murmured something to the Machoke in what appeared to be a whisper. That figured. Being loyal never meant Sun listened to her in these kinds of situations.

"I'd love some, but I just found some fantastic berries by the Outlet, so I don't need any now," Sarah lied after feigning thoughtfulness. She could not just say no to him and hurt his feelings - she truly wanted to seem as though she had a reason. There was no way in the name of the Moon she was going to mention taking just one berry from him could cost him valuable money and have his chances for a better living ruined; Relin would never let her leave without any if she roused that kind of pathetic excuse. She sheepishly grinned for the first time since seeing him, praying it seemed as though she was embarrassed instead of scared he would see through her shaky facade. "Was there this morning and found a whole bushel. Sorry, Relin. Next time, okay?" she suggested. At least half of that was true. She had been at Reafe Outlet this morning, and she did find potent bushels of berries there regularly.

Relin momentarily seemed to weigh her words and expression. Sarah's fear tightly seized her with every passing second, certain he would reject her offer. However, his words instantly satisfied her.

"Alrigh'," the young man slowly compromised, the creases of his eyes shifting in defeat. Quickly enough, though, Relin confidently gazed at her without much time wasted, his tone immediately turning serious. "But yo' are gunna take'em next time for sure - no objections. Thou'-" Relin gestured over to Sun and lightly smirked - "Sun here looks mighty hungry."

Sarah internally relaxed until he mentioned Sunset. By this point the Espeon had edged the berry nearly out of the bucket, staring at it with wide, hungry eyes. The female was about to object when Sunset quickly swatted the speckled berry into the sky and jumped at it, catching it with her fangs. Sunset landed on all fours and munched on the juicy treat, and after finishing gave Relin an approving glance.

The boy laughed at Sunset's portrayal of goofiness, obviously very pleased the Pokémon was taking his hospitality to heart. "Tha' good, huh? Glad 'bout that."

Sarah found no real use in scolding the feline again - the deed had already been done. She instead glanced at Winace who was staring off into space. The girl guessed Winace deemed to be neutral in all of this, and Sarah did not blame her.

[i]Why, Sun?[/i] Sarah dryly thought, mentally sighing in frustration. [i]Just to make me angry?[/i]

Suddenly, Sarah once more noted the nearby site of Tsaine County. She had nearly forgotten the whole point to her venture there until then. It did make sense, however; Relin was easy to talk to. His personality was remote and he did not try to advance too fast into conversations. The natural slurs in his speech were also a sound for sore ears. It was slashed in the curious and soft Moon Forest accent only the people around the city seemed to have more definitively than those further out in the country land, and she loved to hear it. Even though she and everyone in her family had it, the accent just was not quite as strong and fluid.

But just as Sarah was pulled off-track she lead herself back to her duties. She turned her attention back to the gate, lingering tall and firm without fail. "But I need to get home as early as possible, and I have something to drop off and get, so. . . ." she lamely trailed off, and gestured both of her hands towards the iron gate to indicate where she was headed.

Relin followed her motion, his natural smile tugging back onto his lips. "Say no more. I'll get you into the city without any trouble," Relin declared in fearlessness. The boy propped himself off the tree and started striding towards Winace and her rider, adjusting the straw hat on his head so it was backwards. To Sarah the little retaliation in dress code would come back to haunt him someday, but she always had to admit that it gave him a certain appeal he could only pull-off.

"Relin-" Sarah began with a sharp warning underlying her tone. She knew full well she could get into Tsaine County herself. Besides, if Relin tagged along she would have to continue to talk with him. She was increasingly growing restless from speaking and did not want to settle for more of her awful lies if they were necessary. But most of all, Relin's presence continuously reminded her of Joshua at the back of her mind.

"Winace, yo' want me to come, righ'? An' Sunset, o'course," Relin stated, switching to Sarah's Pokémon for support. He pretended not to acknowledge Sarah's plea and gave the Rapidash and Espeon a voice full of enthusiasm that was hard to refuse. Relin stopped at Winace's side after crossing the clearing and patted her lightly on the nose with his long fingers. "I ha' a nice berry for yo' to Winace, yo' know?" he bribed the horse, sounding something like a peddler haggling for a certain price.

Winace promptly titled her head in Relin's direction when she was addressed, instantly snapping out of whatever daydream she had fallen into. Her blissful facial expressions vanished without any warning. The Fire-type blinked at Relin with a sideways glance, and then lowered her head in a simple nod.

On the contrary, the Espeon lightly blinked and quickly licked her muzzle one last time from the savory sweet berry flavor. "Peon!" Sunset cheerfully agreed, leaping back to Winace's side. She stood tall and proud at full posture, her chest puffed-out in alert attention.

Sarah slightly huffed, her annoyance rekindled. That kind of bribery would always work. [i]Traitor,[/i] Sarah scornfully thought while staring at Winace, a hint of dread just about hitting her eyes. Winace knew how she felt about Relin's advances, so why was she suddenly going against her? This had to be a conspiracy.

"With that this's settled," Relin childishly pointed out to Sarah, certain she was unable to protest still. He bowed his head with light grace to her, not showing any sign of being affected by her negative mood. "So let's get'a move on! The day's a'wastin' 'ways. 'Sides, no proper lady should be unescorted in these hard times."

Sarah paused, but eventually gave her friend an awkward smile in return. [i]Oh, fine,[/i] she decided in defeat. [i]But I can definitely could get there by myself. I'm fifteen now. A woman, for Moon's sakes! But it's alright; I won't reject this sweet side of him anymore today. He deserves that.[/i]

With more enthusiasm pumping into her veins, Sarah concluded she would show Relin her change in heart. She tilted her head a little at her friend, directly winking at him with as much charm as she could muster. "Fair enough, Relin. I'm cornered with no way to escape. So I'll leave it in your capable hands to protect me with all of your strength. Got it?"

For a moment, Relin appeared taken aback by either Sarah's words or acceptance of him escorting her into the city, and blankly stared at her after she spoke. There was an uncomfortable pause in which Sarah felt confusion cloud her own expression. What had she did or said wrong? It was difficult for her to place what had happened. Though, Relin glanced down at the grassy Earth, his straw hat shadowing his face from view and spoke before she could question him. "When yo' put it like that, victory is the only option," he clearly murmured, a voice which completely contrasted his cheerful tone until that point.

Sarah slowly blinked, bewildered at Relin's strange behavioral switch. However, he seemed to entirely forget his words within a second or two and gazed upwards at her with a content smile. He purposefully turned and walked in front of Winace with long, quick strides that crushed the grass under his black boots with a rustle, and halted, standing back-straight in military-style attention. Relin peered over his shoulder and raised his hand to his forehead, giving Sarah a proud salute. After dropping his hand right back to his side, he faced the city's iron gates and started off in a march towards them.

To follow suit, Relin's Machoke tensed its muscles to brace itself for its heavy berry load and lifted the buckets high above its head. Machoke obediently trailed to his master's side in pounding footsteps while Winace and Sunset tagged along at Relin's heels. Sarah observed Relin for a moment longer, but eventually pushed the odd mix of wonder and confusion in her stomach away. Today would be a fun experience and there was no need to spoil what was to come with such trivial matters. She gripped the horn on Winace's saddle once more and stared down at her small hands. Though she had begun this encounter with a rocky start, Sarah was extremely grateful there was another friend here with her, at the very least.


End file.
